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The History of First Generation DMUs


The Railcar website provides information on the British Railways first generation DMUs (a.k.a. diesel multiple units / railcars) introduced in the 1950s.

The content of this website

The six key sections of the website are:

  • Types - looks at each type of DMU in detail
  • Topics - features articles on different aspects of the vehicles and personal recollections
  • Technology - describes the technical details of how they work
  • Data - various lists of numerical details
  • Images - galleries featuring DMUs
  • In Print - details the books and other printed materials made available over the years that have relevance

Details of railcars in preservation can be found on The Railcar Association website.


Date on DMUs

Vehicle / Set Data

To view details of a particular vehicle or set enter the number below:

       

DMU Images Wanted!

Do you have photos of First Generation DMUs? The more images we have the better we can tell the DMU story and make it more useful to visitors. Images can be loaded directly onto the site - just register as a user and upload! Alternatively if you have images on flickr or another website I can do the uploads for you - just let me know.


Scope

This website contains details about the First Generation DMUs. This includes the 4-wheel diesel railbuses, ACV / BUT railcars, the Battery Multiple Unit (BMU) and Blue Pullmans. It covers the period from their introduction to British Railways in the 1950s till their withdrawal and disposal from main-line use, but NOT preservation.

Because of the vast amount of data that this covers and the amount of information I have still to process I cannot include the DEMUs introduced on the Southern Region in the same era, nor Second Generation or later types.


Updates

March 16th

The remaining pages relating the asbestos content for vehicles circa 1984 have been added, these are for: Class 107s, Class 108s, Class 111s, Class 114s, Class 115s, Class 116s, Class 117s, Class 118s, Class 121s, Class 122s, and Class 127s.

March 9th

Some more operation/timetable pages have been started: Ipswich - Lowestoft; Birmingham - Four Oaks; Leeds - Harrogate; Cumbernauld - Springburn; and Swansea - Carmarthen.

March 2nd

Another log book kept by Llandudno Junction depot staff has been added covering 13 May to 22 August 1988. It is in three parts: 13 May - 13 June (12mb pdf); 14 June - 16 July (11mb pdf); and 17 July - 22 August (12mb pdf). Also BR maintenance records for 50619 and 56492 courtesy of the Dean Forest DMU Group.

February 24th

Some pages relating the asbestos content for vehicles circa 1984 have been added for Class 101s, Class 110s and Class 119s.

February 17th

Some more operation/timetable pages have been started: Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth; York - Selby - Doncaster; Glasgow - Largs; Slough - Windsor; and new timetables added to Cambridge - Ipswich.

February 10th

Another log book kept by Llandudno Junction depot staff has been added covering 16 March to 12 May 1988 (13mb pdf).

February 3rd

Two GRC&W promotional brochures have been added: one a general one (4mb pdf) circa 1958; and one for the Class 100s (4mb pdf) dated July 1957.

January 27th

Some more operation/timetable pages have been started: Norwich - Sheringham; Bedford - Bletchley; Leeds - Goole; Edinburgh - Galashiels; and Paignton - Exeter.

January 20th

Another log book kept by Llandudno Junction depot staff has been added covering 12 July to 28 October 1986. It is in four parts: 12 July - 5 August (13mb pdf); 6 August - 2 September (14mb pdf); 3 September - 2 October (14mb pdf); and 3 October - 28 October (14mb pdf).

Latest Images:

121 DMU at South Greenford Halt

A Class 121 DMU (which seems to be W55022) in South Greenford Halt sometime in 1973. Stuart Mackay Collection.

101 DMU at Unknown

Class 101 DMCL E50160 standing in for a Trans-Pennine power car. Date unknown, likely when the vehicle was allocated to Hull Botanic Gardens between October 1975 and May 1979. Location also unknown, there is a Hovis factory in the background. Stuart Mackay Collection.

114 DMU at Sheffield

A Class 114 with oval-buffered DMBS E50043 closest at Sheffield on 24 February 1979. Stuart Mackay Collection.

115 DMU at Aylesbury

Class 115s in Aylesbury station in December 1982, including M59761 on the left. Stuart Mackay Collection.

101 DMU at Lowestoft

Class 101 DMU set 92 heads away from Lowestoft with Norwich on the destination blind, sometime in the 1980s. Stuart Mackay Collection.

View More Recent Images...

On This Day:

101 DMU at Reedham

DTC(L) 54340 is closest in Class 101 set 64 at Reedham on 19/03/1988 with a service heading to Norwich. The DMBS was 51191. Graeme Phillips Collection.

121 DMU at Old Oak Common

977858 at Old Oak Common open day, 19th March 1994. Robert Frise.

117 DMU at Watford Junction

Class 117 2-Car DMU set L704 at Watford Junction on March 19th 1994. The DMU was formed of driving cars 51383 & 51341, originally a 3-car set with an intermediate trailer car, the unit had been built by Pressed Steel in 1959. Martyn Hilbert.

104 DMU at Edinburgh Waverley

A Class 104 DMU with M53504 closest in Edinburgh Waverley on 19 March 1988. Brian Daniels.

101 DMU at Manchester Piccadilly

Regional Railways Class 101 MU set No. 101662 (53228 + 54055) stands in Manchester Piccadilly on 19 March 1994. Brian Creasey.